30 December 2023 , 20:00
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Paul Merson believes Arsenal will bounce back from their defeat by West Ham in Sunday's London derby at Fulham.
Mikel Arteta's men were stunned on home soil by the Hammers in midweek, falling to a surprise 2-0 loss to David Moyes' men, in another blow to their title aspirations. The Gunners have won just one of their last four Premier League outings.
After that defeat, Arteta knows his side has little room for error at Craven Cottage, and Merson believes that the inconsistent Cottagers will be swept aside, while praising Kai Havertz for his recent upturn in form. Arsenal legend Merson said: "Fulham are another funny team. They couldn't score a goal to save their lives at the start of the season but were flying along a month ago.
"However, it looks like they are back to square one at the moment as they've scored just one goal in their last four games. London derbies are always tricky and Fulham will want to win this one, but I think Arsenal will get all three points away from home.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, Merson added: "They have to stay consistent and keep going as they look to get their hands on the Premier League title."
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"It depends on what happens when the Gunners take on West Ham later today, but I think Arteta will go full strength and start all his key players. Gabriel Jesus is the connecter up front for Arsenal, so I doubt he'll put the Brazilian on the bench for Eddie Nketiah or Leandro Trossard.
"Kai Havertz has been good in recent weeks after a tough start to his Arsenal career. I was always a big fan of him and knew he'd come good, so it's been nice to see him emerge as a key player for the club during the festive period."
Paul Merson has given his view on Arsenal at Fulham (SkySports)Like Merson, BBC pundit Chris Sutton also believes Arsenal will claim victory in west London. He said: "This is a huge game for Arsenal after their surprise defeat by West Ham."
"The Gunners are widely considered to be a bit more streetwise than last season, but they have 10 fewer points after 19 games than they did in the the 2022-23 campaign, when they were out in front for so long. This time they are playing catch-up to Liverpool, with City hot on their heels - Pep Guardiola's side would go above them if they win their game in hand."
"Fulham have hit a bit of a bump in the road, with three straight defeats, but it is not long since they were flying and scoring loads of goals. Fulham will make it hard, but Arsenal will find a way of winning this one - they really have to."
Speculation continues to link Arsenal with a move for a new No.9 in January, with Brentford's Ivan Toney - yet to play this season due to suspension - understood to be the No.1 target. But the ex-Chelsea, Blackburn and Celtic hitman thinks it is another Premier League striker who may be the better bet.
"There's been plenty of talk already about how manager Mikel Arteta needs to sign another striker in January. Brentford's Ivan Toney has been linked for a while, but he has not played for months because of his suspension. He will have been training, but how much match sharpness does he have?"
"Arsenal are trying to win the title, so they haven't got time to wait for anyone to get up to speed. If we are looking at the names that are supposedly within their grasp, Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke stands out as the best candidate."
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